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Scroll to the bottom of this article for a gallery of photos from the celebration.

Barksdale Air Force Base's 2nd Bomb Wing received the 2015 Omaha Trophy on Monday — marking the unit as the best strategic bomber wing within the U.S. Strategic Command .

The Omaha Trophy was first created by the Strategic Command Consultation Committee in 1971 as a token of appreciation to the command's best wing. Admiral Cecil D. Haney, U.S. Strategic Command commander, presented the 2015 trophy and said Barksdale Air Force Base airmen had demonstrated "the highest standards of performance in support of USSTRATCOM's global, diverse missions."

"It's great for me to get back to Barksdale, to be here in the company of the Mighty Deuce, and salute you for your remarkable performance, for perseverance and dedication to duty in so many different operations," Haney told a crowd of more than 500 airmen gathered.

He added, "Any adversary who thinks they can escalate their way out of a failed conflict would have to think again based on what you bring to the table."

The 2nd Bomb Wing consists of 3,900 Barksdale Air Force Base airmen and accomplishes nuclear and conventional deterrence missions on a daily basis. The unit aids in USSTRATCOM's combatant command's primary mission: to detect, deter and prevent strategic attacks against the United States and its allies. Specific accomplishments of Barksdale Air Force Base's 2nd Bomb Wing included 45 major command awards, two Department of Defense level awards, one international organization award and 38 bomber assurance and deterrence missions.

Barksdale Air Force Base airmen were presented with the Omaha Trophy on March 21, 2016.(Photo: Lex Talamo)

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W. Gary Gates, president and chief executive officer of the Kathy and Gary Gates Foundation, said the trophy represented a 45-year tradition of excellence.

"We established this Omaha trophy to recognize the best of the best," Gates said. "The consultation committee appreciates the opportunity to participate in the presentation of the award based on your demonstration of leadership, commitment and dedication to what we hold so dear — freedom."

Airman Kenneth Gullette, a squadron lead crew member, said being recognized surprised him and inspired him to work even harder.

"It's a huge honor. To have a four-star admiral say you're making a huge impact in the whole world, not just the community... it's huge," Gullette said. "It makes you work harder, because you know you're going to make that impact. You're going to be a part of the history. You're going to do something that protects this country."

Col. Kristin E. Goodwin, 2nd Bomb Wing commander, said the Omaha Trophy was a source of pride for the entire Shreveport-Bossier community. She said she's incredibly proud of the base's team and the global impact they've had.

"This Omaha trophy represents your hard work and your relentless pursuit of innovation. It represents the teamwork each of you do everyday," Goodwin told the airmen. "It represents the sacrifice, the self-dedication and the necessity for precision that comes with supporting the most powerful weapons on the planet."

Major General Richard Clark, 8th Air Force commander, said the 2nd Bomb Wing "knocked it out of the park" and congratulated the airmen on the significant and momentous award.

Barksdale Air Force Base airmen stand at attention during the singing of the National Anthem(Photo: Lex Talamo)

"You set a high bar for other wings to follow. Given the diversity of your mission, you've done an amazing job," Clark said. "There are a lot of uncertainties in the world right now. We don't know what might be coming our way. But one thing I do know is that the Mighty Deuce is ready."

Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker said receiving the trophy was a tremendous honor.

"To have the wing recognized as the best bomber wing in the Air Force is outstanding," Walker said. "The criteria is very tight. It's a tremendous thing for this wing to have earned this honor of all the Air Force wings."

B-52(Photo: Lex Talamo)

Haney said the daily sacrifices and commitment to excellence by the airmen earned them the award.

"To get that trophy required a day-to-day focus on mission excellence in this nuclear deterrence mission, as well as the global strike capability from a conventional side," Haney said. "I can't be any more proud of these airmen and how they have meticulously, professionally, courageously performed their mission day in and day out to get to this Omaha Trophy status."

Interested in this topic? You may also want to view these photo galleries:

An earlier version of this story incorrectly attributed a quote. Major General Richard Clark, 8th Air Force commander, said: "You set a high bar for other wings to follow. Given the diversity of your mission, you've done an amazing job. There are a lot of uncertainties in the world right now. We don't know what might be coming our way. But one thing I do know is that the Mighty Deuce is ready." Clark also said the 2nd Bomb Wing "knocked it out of the park" and congratulated the airmen on the significant and momentous award.